...by the patient census. Census is defined as the amount of patient within a particular floor, hospital or organization (Waxman, 2013). This is important because this is how some hospital base how many employees are need for that particular shift, is also used to calculate nurse to patient ratio. 2. Waxman discusses self-scheduling--pros and cons. Do you have any experience with self-scheduling? If so, please share the experience and compare it with any applicable pros/cons from Waxman. I can recall the days working in the intensive care unit where we had self-scheduling. Before we implemented this new way of scheduling people used to call out from work a lot. Since we implemented the self-scheduling people were showing up for the scheduled shifts. The only time we had problems is when it was time for weekend and holiday coverage. According to Waxman (2013) in order to successfully implement self-scheduling communication and collaboration must be taken into consideration. When my manager started to notice that the weekends were short staffed and no one was singing up for the holidays she told us that she was going to take away self-scheduling, when she told us that everyone got their ducks in a row and started communicating with one another to make sure it was fair. 3. Using the hospital compare website provided this week--look up the hospital you work at or a local hospital's 30-day readmission rate. Please reflect on this rate and provide any suggestions...
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...have always dreamed of being a nurse. However, when I took Biology in high school, I not only found it overly challenging, but I was also disinterested in the subjected matter. With this realization, I gave up my dream of becoming a nurse. Over time, I eventually ended up as a secretary to a nursing program and believed that this was the closest I would ever get to the nursing field. In working this job for six years, I saw many students struggle, yet most of them graduated and went on to obtain their nursing licenses. I began to think that this may be a possibility for me. So, at the age of thirty-four, I quit my full-time job, began a part-time job as a nursing assistant, and enrolled in nursing school. Because I was single and self-supporting, going to school full-time to achieve a BSN was not an option for me. Instead, I decided to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing with the intention of completing my BSN at a later date. However, when I completed my Associate Degree, I was more interested in beginning my new career than continuing my education. However, throughout the years, I have often regretted my decision to postpone the completion of my Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. At times I feel as though I am at a severe disadvantage to those nurses who possess BSNs. Fortunately, I have recently been pushed to define my goals and focus on ways to achieve them. I firmly believe that through the definition and achievement of my personal and professional goals, I am given...
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...Northwest Tech Community College Nursing I & II Care Plan Student's Name: Client's initials: Date: ___________ Age and Developmental Stage: 69 year old Integrity vs. despair this patient is in despair not able to care for himself financially. ______ Diagnosis and Definition: Pneumonia- infection in lungs caused by a pathogen. ______ ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬-__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IDENTIFIED NURSING DIAGNOSIS SHORT-TERM GOAL INTERVENTIONS NURSING ACTION TAKEN RATIONALE FOR NURSING INTERVENTION EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SHORT-TERM GOAL I. Health Perception/ Management A. Nursing Diagnosis: Risk for Injury Subjective: Pt states he has lost his pep and stamina. Has shortness of breath with any exertion. Objective: Pt has Rheumatoid Arthritis and uses a walker. A. The pt will not fall during my shift 1. Provide night light 2. Keep patient’s room free of clutter 3. Assist the pt with all transfers and ambulation. If the patient requires multiple pillows for rest or positioning, tape the bottom layer of pillows to prevent dislodging. 1. Safety measures to prevent falling at night (Cox,2007,p.62) 2. Basic safety measures to prevent injury (Cox, 2007, p.62) 3. Assist in preventing suffocation or tripping on pillows. (Cox,2007,p.62) Goal was met. Pt ambulated with one person assist...
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...09/06/2012 The clinical practice of psychiatric nursing can occur within an inpatient or outpatient setting. Registered nurses work with individuals, families, groups, and communities; assessing mental health needs, developing diagnoses, plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care. They deal with nursing practices characterized by interventions that promote and foster health, assess dysfunction, assist clients to regain or improve their coping abilities, and prevent further disability. These interventions focus on psychiatric-mental health clients and include health promotion, preventative management, assisting client with self-care activities, administering and monitoring treatment regimens, health education including but not limited to psychoeducation crisis intervention, counseling and case management. This specialty of nursing is one that cares for people of all ages with mental illness or mental distress, such as; Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression, and dementia. In the inpatient setting, the patient population mainly consists of those patients who will benefit more from a structured, safe, and supervised environment with a direct care approach. The RN’s in the inpatient setting are not only involved in care planning, scheduling, and charting, they are constantly supervising, dealing with medication administration, and performing health checks. Outpatient services are provided to those individuals who may be better served by remaining in their home...
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...Job Satisfaction I tend to agree with a lot of the statements in this article. I especially like the part where the one nurse wrote, “Please take the busyness of patients into account when scheduling.” This finding corresponds with Oermann and Moffitt-Wolf’s (1997) observation that new graduates experienced stress during orientation due to lack of experience, lack of organizational skills, and new situations. (Halfer & Graf, 2006) The inability to handle the intense working environment, advanced technology, and high patient acuity results in new graduate nurse turnover rates of 35% to 60%. All of this occurs within the first year of employment. Turnover has an inverse relationship to job satisfaction. As job satisfaction increases turnover decreases. Many factors influence the satisfaction of new graduates. (Halfer & Graf, 2006) New graduate nurses are leaving their current positions at an alarmingly higher rate than experienced nurses (Patterson, 2009) I do believe things can be done to change these issues. I feel it is important, though it is not always practical to involve the new staff in the scheduling process and, as the article states, include as a “Team scheduling” process, rather than a “self scheduling”. This may make more people feel involved, and although it may not solve all of the issues, such as weekends or holidays, it may be a small change that will improve job satisfaction. I wish they had something like this on the unit I work on. We...
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...Philosophy of Nursing Lindsay Prestwood, RN Georgia Southern University Spring 2012 NURS 3139 Philosophy of Nursing A philosophy is a person’s value statement composed of that person’s ideologies and characteristics. It is my personal opinion that a philosophy is strongly influenced by a person’s upbringing, their life experiences and is an evolving moral belief in an area of their life. There are differing opinions and statements that can define a philosophy. My philosophy in nursing is built on a firm belief that I should always maintain integrity, honesty and a heart to help health the sick and those in need, while laying aside my own personal biases do only what is right of a prudent nurse. Being a strong and prudent nurse is one that esteems the patient’s needs above their own needs. Nursing is the foundation to the practice of medicine in our nation. I will share one definition of a philosophy according to Yoder-Wise: A nursing philosophy statement outlines the vision, values, and beliefs about the practice of nursing and the provision of patient care within the organization. The philosophy statement is used to guide the practice of nursing in the various nursing units on a daily basis. (Yoder-Wise, 2011, 282) As I stated in my original philosophy, being a strong and prudent nurse who places a patient’s needs as top priority is the part of what encompasses my philosophy of nursing. Concepts and Beliefs When I stated in my philosophy that one must place the...
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...University Staffing Shortage Nursing is a profession that is in demand however we have a current shortage that will increase over the coming years. Mittelman (2010) reports that we will have a short fall of at least one million nurses by the year 2020. The implications of this shortage are widespread. Consequently much attention about the nursing shortage (beside to administrative leaders) has captured the attention of health organizations, policy makers, researchers, academic institutions, and the profession itself (Kirschling, Colgan, & Andrews, 2011). A significant amount of attention targets hospitals since they employ the largest percentage of nurses. Importantly, challenges that stem from the nursing shortage must be addressed in a proactive manner to support endeavors of providing excellent patient care for patients, families, and communities served. Furthermore, healthier environments would help prevent burnout among nurses producing poor morale. Retention of current nurses and attracting new individuals to the profession is paramount if we are to sustain adequate numbers of qualified professionals. Healthcare organizations are the cornerstone of nursing employment. These institutions have difficulty hiring new staff as well as keeping current professional nurses. Halfer (2011) reported that hospital leaders must support nursing job satisfaction as well as professional practice development. In effect, this...
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...|Evidence-Based Practice Matrix of Ten Pieces of Primary Research on One Topic Related to Nursing | |Authors | |Authors | |Authors | Authors |Resource/ Database |Year of Publication |Research Type |Population/ Sample Size |Outcome Variables Measured |Pertinent Data from Results |Author’s Suggested Conclusions |Comments | |Chou, Y., Shao, M.,Tzeng, W.& Yeh, M. |WGU Library |2010 |Cross-sectional |435 female nurses from five different hospitals |Sleep quality and quality of life in female shift-working nurses |57% had global sleep-quality scores > or = to 5 |Long hours affect nurses sleep quality and information should be given while in school and to managers to improve health |It was interesting to see the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index...
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...Professional Nursing in Tennessee: Maintaining the Standards Johnny Wright Walden University Issues and Trends in Nursing (NURS - 3001 - 7) February 17, 2013 Professional Nursing in Tennessee: Maintaining the Standards The scope of practice describes the actions, procedures, and rules permitted by Tennessee law for the nursing profession. Professional standards are codes and rules that influence the nursing profession. The purpose of this paper is to examine in detail Tennessee’s professional nursing standards of practice, licensure requirements and the American Nurses Association code of conducts and nursing standards. Scope of Practice The Tennessee registered nurses scope of practice is a detailed process which comprised of patient assessment, identify issues and trends, outcomes identification, learning and practice environment, consultation and evaluation. The standard of practice of the professional nurse means the performance for compensation of any requiring extensive specialized judgment and skills based on knowledge of multiple groups of sciences, and the humanities, as the basis for application of the nursing process in wellness, prevention and illness care. The professional nurse is must exhibit responsible supervision of patients requiring skill and surveillance of symptoms, reactions and expected outcomes. The registered nurse must advocate health promotion, restoration and maintenance of health, administer medication...
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...Applying Middle-Range Theory to Solve Fatigue in Nursing Samuel Ayeni Grand Canyon University 12/20/2015 Applying Middle-Range Theory to Solve Fatigue in Nursing For a long period, nursing has been viewed as a profession with great rewards. However, there have been also a lot of challenges and complexities surrounding current health care. Nurses often undergo fatigue in their environment of work. Registered nurses who operate in tertiary care locations often expose themselves to long hours of working, trauma, abuse, and even death, which collectively make them become fatigued both emotionally and physically (Lenz & Pugh, 2003). A review of the literature has proved the importance of education to nurses about risks, and how to fight fatigue. This report discusses, in detail, the Evidence-Based Practice Change Model, and Transpersonal Caring Theory to bring about solutions to the problem of fatigue among nurses. Nurses who find it difficult to adapt to health care environments are the ones who go through many troubles and are often fatigued. Providing care to others for an extended period of time will undoubtedly lead to fatigue if not handled properly. Those who are fatigued may experience symptoms such as nuisances, despair, annoyance, chronic weariness, and little ability to perform sufficiently at work (Lenz & Pugh, 2003). Fatigue is an idiosyncratic involvement that can lead to undesirable...
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...Joy L. Koppa 402 ½ S. Crawford Fort Scott, KS. 66701 (620) 215-5152 Personal Qualities: 0 Motivated and determined to exceed company goals 1 Able to work independently 2 Establish excellent rapport with others Work Experience: Marketing Consultant Perfect Placements Screening & Resource (self-employed), Springfield, MO. October 2004-January 2007 3 Respond to hospital social workers needing to find nursing home placement for patients 4 Visited and assessed potential residents 5 Arranged and coordinated each admission; on call 24 hrs/7 days to answer any inquires, coordinate admissions, consult families, and follow-up Marketing/Admissions Coordinator. Springfield Skilled Care Center & The Lodges, Springfield, MO. April 2002-October 2004. 6 Responsible for all admissions and marketing of 103 bed nursing home and a 99-bed residential care facility 7 Completed daily and monthly marketing reports 8 Designed and created new information packets, brochures, and ads 9 Met regularly with hospital staff social workers (85% of my referrals) 10 Visited and assessed each [potential resident in the hospital or their home 11 Verified all prospective residents' Medicare/Medicaid status to ensure financially sound facility in order to properly care for residents needs 12 Arranged and coordinated entire admission and completed all necessary forms 13 Attended Chamber of Commerce monthly misers 14 Filled...
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...elevated blood pressure, nurses are taking notice of this problem and have adopted alternative methods of ensuring patient receives quality care in achieving healthy blood pressure. Problem Identification A number of patients have been presented at the clinic with high blood pressure reading thus placing these patients at risk of cardiovascular problems. In an effort to develop programs to help promote healthy blood pressure re results, the health clinic developed different strategies to help patient monitor their blood pressure. The first strategy requires the patient to conduct home self-monitoring of blood pressure on a daily basis and record the results for presentation to the clinic during their scheduled appointments. The second strategy consists of nurses scheduling these patients for blood pressure monitoring at the nursing blood pressure clinic every week for two months. Nursing blood pressure clinic will consist of hypertension education, medication education, medication adjustment, and lifestyle changes. Nurses will work collaboratively with patients and identifying those with high blood pressure results and making referral to physician for further evaluation. In addition,...
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...including adults, adolescents, and small children. “A family is a set of interacting individuals related by marriage, blood, and adoption or by cohabitation interdependently perform relevant functions to fulfill expected role” (Edelman & Mandle2010). System theory helps nurses to view clients as participating members of a family. Developmental theory helps nurses to look at different phases of the family system and predict family transitions based on the norms. Gordon’s functional health patterns help nurses to assess and understand health patterns of their family as a whole functional unit that relates to their health needs, and modify nursing practice accordingly (Edelman & Mandle2010). Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns are values/ health perception, nutrition, sleep/rest, elimination, activity/exercise, cognitive, sensory- perception, self-perception, role relationship, sexuality, and coping. This author has interviewed a family where the father is a 40 year old African American male married to a 39 year old Hispanic woman. They have been married for 20years and have one 15 year old girl and a 10 year old boy. They are a happily married couple and have a good support system of family and friends. The father is a truck driver and the mother is a medical assistant. Their average income is 30-40 grand per year and they have medical coverage for the family. Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns were used to assess this family. Values, health perception: ...
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...Assessment of the Family using Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns Grand Canyon University: NRS-429-V October 06, 2013 Health Assessment of the Jackson’s Family, using the Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns. The Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns Assessment is a very useful tool in assessing and evaluating the family’s established health patterns, allowing the care provider an inside look at the overall health of a particular family and able to assist them in setting goals for better health outcome for the entire family. This paper will discuss the health habits and manner of functioning of the Jackson’s family, which consist of a mother age 41, father age 37, and 3 teenage sons, ranging in ages from 19, 16 and 14. This assessment will be conducted by asking 2 to 3 open-ended questions based on Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns. The findings of Health Patterns of the Jackson’s Family, using Gordon’s Health Assessment. The Jackson’ Family is your typical family with a mother, father and 3 children. They have some set values and beliefs, and yet have some chaotic health behaviors which can become problematic eventually in the future, especially for the mother. In evaluating and assessing this family, it is evident that it is a family in which members care for one another very much. In the Pattern of Health Perception and Assessment, this family has a routine by which they will not seek medical assistance unless in emergency needs, but do follow up annually...
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...Running Head: FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT Family Health Assessment Grand Canyon University NRS 429 15 March 2009 Instructor - Catherine Tiwald RN MSN WHNP-BC Family Health Assessment Gordon’s Functional Health Pattern assessment was developed from the belief that all human beings have in common 11 functional health patterns that contribute to their health, quality of life and achievement of human potential. By examining functional patterns, nurses can more accurately determine and diagnose actual or potential problems, intervene more effectively and achieve outcomes that promote health and well-being (Edelman & Mandle, 2006). This paper will examine the 11 functional health patterns of a selected family; make nursing diagnosis recommendations and offer community and web-based resources for support. Additionally, the paper will review the role systems theory had in assessing the target family. Family Demographics The target family (Family “P”) identified themselves as white, middle class and educated. The husband, age 42, develops computer software. His wife, age 45, home schools their three children, ages 14, 11, and 5. The two younger children are adopted from Guatemala and China. Interview Process and Results Both parents answered multiple questions for each of the 11 functional health patterns, and where applicable, a physical examination was conducted. For the health perception/health management pattern, they answered the question “What are the most...
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